What is this blog about?
The BrandBuilder blog provides commentary and discussions about Brand Management best practices.
Though topics vary from week to week, typical areas of focus are Corporate Communications, Product Design, Social Media, Change Management, Leadership, Customer Relations, Community Management, Measurement, Strategy and Planning, PR, Advertising, Copywriting, Brand Development, Crisis Management, Integrated Marketing, Quality Control, Customer Relations, Traditional Media, Enterprise 2.0, Mobile Marketing, and Experience Design.
Occasionally, we also touch on triathlon, international travel, news, pop culture and chihuahuas, just to keep things from getting too businessy.
For best results, I recommend entering a keyword or two in the search box and letting the archive sort through itself. (It is… vast.)
Who am I?
It’s all right here, and this is what I usually look like:
What is my professional background?
For full details, check out my profile and CV on LinkedIn, then put it all together with these shmancy timeline and pie charts:
Management Inventory
Industry Breakdown
What do I do?
I do a number of things:
1. As Principal at Red Chair Group, I provide basic, intermediate and advanced Social Media Operational training programs for executives and organizations.
2. As principal at TheBrandBuilder Marketing, I provide Brand Development and Brand Management solutions to agency, corporate and not-for-profit clients (including but not limited to Social Media).
3. Outside of these two organizations, I am often hired to provide Brand Management, Social Media and Marketing consulting services to corporate clients.
4. I also do my fair share of speaking at key industry events and around the world.
5. I wrote a book. Haz yu heard of it? If you want to know how to build and manage social media / social business programs, it’s kind of a must-read.
Do I work with Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)?
Yes. Many of my clients prefer that I do. I don’t need to brag about who I work with, so your secrets are safe with me.
Do I have something that looks like a global client footprint?
Yes. Currently, my the companies I work with are located in the countries indicated on the world map below:
Is a Red Chair event coming to your part of the jungle this year?
Probably. If not, let me know and we will change that. Here is a map of the events planned for 2012 and 2013:
Where can I be reached (and how)?
Snail Mail: 209 North Main Street, Box 324, Greenville, SC 29601
Skype: 864.641.1343 or o.blanchard
Twitter: @thebrandbuilder
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/olivierblanchard
email: olivier@thebrandbuildermarketing.com
How do companies hire my services?
Step 1: Contact me.
Step 2: Submit a request.
Step 3: Let’s talk about it.
Can we talk about fees?
Sure thing. In ascending order:
My blog:
Free.
My Twitter Feed:
Free.
My LinkedIn discussions:
Free.
My “More Ideas Than Time” podcasts with Keith Burtis:
Free.
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Hearing me speak at a local event (South Carolina):
$10 to $100, depending on event registration fees.
Hearing me speak at a national/international event:
$75 to $900, depending on event registration fees.
Attending a Red Chair Training session:
$250 to $2,000, depending on the session type.
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Hiring me to speak at an event:
$5,000 – $15,000*, depending on the event (duration, distance from home base, etc.)
Hiring me for a half day of consulting:
$7,000* without retainer.
Hiring me for a full day of consulting:
$12,000* without retainer.
*Speaking fee only. Travel & accommodations billed separately.
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Retainer & Project fees: By request only.
Do I currently advertise on The BrandBuilder Blog?
Not currently, no. The BrandBuilder is still advertising-free for now.
How many languages do I speak?
Two: English and French. Fluently.
Note: I learned Spanish as a kid, but I understand it better than I speak it.
Is Chico (the brandbuilder mascot) real?
Yes. Chico the Chihuahua is real. So are Chiquita and Cholula, his live-in girlfriends. And yes, they’re all very loud when people knock on the door.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing? What would be your dream job?
Head copywriter for a fortune cookie manufacturer.
(Kidding. This is my dream job.)
What are your biggest social media lingo cliche/buzzword pet peeves?
Lingo cliches: R.O.I. (misused), R.O.E., Impressions, estimated media value, “engagement,” “conversations.”
Social Media pet peeves: Social Media experts, Auto-DMs in Twitter, companies that don’t understand the difference between Facebook friends and Facebook fans, 1.0 tactics in 2.0 channels, content robbery, people who preach transparency but don’t actually practice it.
Why did you leave Paris for Greenville, SC?
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
What is my favorite beer?
Hello, Bobby Rettew. Thanks for asking. 
I prefer wheat beers with heavy yeast residue. Franziskaner comes to mind. That said, I’m more of a gin & tonic guy.
What is your favorite food?
Any kind of seafood usually satisfies. I’m a sushi addict.
What is your most FAQ that you wish wasn’t?
Um… this one. (Kidding!) The question I get A LOT comes in the form of an invitation to coffee, usually and is expressed thus: “Want to do coffee sometime? I’d love to pick your brain.”
Tip: I’ll be happy to have coffee with anyone, but the coffee shop isn’t where I practice my trade. Anyone looking for consulting services can check out my fees and schedule an appointment. Coffee is social. Business is business. 
If you could take a year off, what would you do with your time?
I would circumnavigate the globe. Discovering new countries, new cultures, new customs, new foods… That would be top on my list. Crossing the breadth of Mongolia on horseback would definitely be part of that journey. India by train. China by motorcycle Australia by hot air balloon. Cameras around my neck, notebook in my pocket, let’s go.
I would do my best not to spend more than 25% of my time on the beach, but… I can’t promise anything.
[...] is there a fundamental problem about style over substance? As Oliver Blanchard’s Brand Builder blog states: “No matter how you look at it, successful branding always starts with a [...]
I wanted to share with you a new article posted on iMedia Connection about brand and media trust written by Michael Raisanen, CEO of Raisanen Creative. Please take a look and let me know if you have any questions.
http://imediaconnection.com/content/20847.asp
Thanks,
Leah
You may have the most fantastic product under your pillow. Without good / mass marketing it has only archeological value.
How you create a need or a product is a different story.
The Hong Kong warehouses are filled with products. All is needed is marketing. Is this good or bad for consumer?
The consumer is the key neither the product nor the marketing or keep all three the consumer, the product and the marketing in a boundle, to keep it simple.
Thanks
Ernest
I wanted to suggest that you add an email subscription link. I find that more of my own blog subscribers prefer that over RSS feed alone. Look forward to meeting soon.
Great idea, Gil.
Can you help us get our site up and running. Here users can sign up and user our service for free.
They are able to barter items and/or services with other people in their communities. thank you!
What a wealth of knowledge! Thanks for all the info. I’ll be back often.
Nice. I appreciate your work.
I must say, that I can not agree with you in 100%, but it’s just my IMHO, which could be wrong.
p.s. You have a very good template . Where did you find it?
[...] Chamber of Commerce there was a business jumpstart workshop on Social Media. Speakers included: Olivier Blanchard, Chad McMillan, Geoff Wasserman, Trey Pennington, Adam Landrum, Jay Handler, and Amy Wood. They [...]
I follow your blog for a long time and should tell you that your posts are always valuable to readers.
I would love to see social bookmarks on your posts… Since I enjoy reading all the links & bookmarks I add to my friend feed. Thanks I look forward to reading more great copy!
Hi Olivier,
Thanks for the response re: programs and that you define them as long term marketing, over the course of several time periods or even years.
Wouldn’t that be the same as a brand manager? Or long term account executive?
Just want to make sure I’m not being left behind re: terminology.
Thanks.
Yeah, a brand manager or long term AE would fall into the category of someone who has managed programs rather than just campaigns.
1. Much larger (complex) scope than campaign management.
2. Understands concepts like continuity. (Campaigns change often, but brands and programs evolve at a different pace.)
[...] with the excellent people I met at Social Fresh, I learned that they are models for what marketing people should become. They focus on creating and maintaining genuine relationships with customers, [...]
[...] with the excellent people I met at Social Fresh, I learned that they are models for what marketing people should become. They focus on creating and maintaining genuine relationships with customers, [...]
I just became a student of social media, and stumbled across your ROI powerpoint on Mashable. Thanks for breaking it down for me! I’m eager to try the techniques on my various businesses.
Best,
Porsche Taylor
You’re very welcome. It’s actually pretty simple, but it needed to be spelled out.
Cheers.
I found your blog because I wanted more information. The content you have on your blog needs to be discovered so I have added you to my Google News Reader. I really look forward to reading more posts from you.
I have needed this information for so long. Where have you been!!! Thanks
Talking about brands check this out! Let’s build our own brand and influence other brands!
[...] on X” – Understanding what Social Media ROI is and isn’t.: In the Brandbuilder Blog, Olivier Blanchard describes the difference between impact and ROI. “Impact can be measured in eyeballs. Impact [...]